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"People refer to this location the Bermuda Triangle of Transylvania," explains a tour guide, his breath forming wisps of vapor in the cold evening air. "Countless individuals have vanished here, it's thought it's a portal to a different realm." This expert is leading a traveler on a evening stroll through what is often described as the globe's spookiest forest: Hoia-Baciu, a square mile of primeval indigenous forest on the edges of the Transylvanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

A Long History of the Unexplained

Stories of bizarre occurrences here extend back centuries – the forest is named after a regional herder who is believed to have disappeared in the long ago, accompanied by his entire flock. But Hoia-Baciu gained international attention in 1968, when a defense worker known as Emil Barnea captured on film what he claimed was a flying saucer floating above a oval meadow in the middle of the forest.

Numerous entered this place and failed to return. But rest assured," he adds, facing his guest with a grin. "Our excursions have a flawless completion rate."

In the years that followed, Hoia-Baciu has attracted meditation experts, traditional medicine people, UFO researchers and paranormal investigators from across the world, interested in encountering the unusual forces believed to resonate through the forest.

Contemporary Dangers

Despite being among the planet's leading pilgrimage sites for lovers of the paranormal, the grove is at risk. The outlying areas of Cluj-Napoca – a contemporary technology center of more than 400,000 people, described as the tech capital of eastern Europe – are expanding, and construction companies are pushing for authorization to clear the trees to erect housing complexes.

Except for a limited section home to locally rare specific tree species, the forest is without conservation status, but Marius hopes that the organization he co-founded – the Hoia-Baciu Project – will contribute to improving the situation, encouraging the government officials to acknowledge the forest's importance as a tourist attraction.

Spooky Experiences

As twigs and seasonal debris break and crackle beneath their shoes, the guide tells numerous traditional stories and alleged paranormal happenings here.

• One famous story tells of a young child disappearing during a family picnic, later to rematerialise after five years with no recollection of her experience, without aging a moment, her garments shy of the tiniest bit of dirt.
• Frequent accounts explain mobile phones and camera equipment unexpectedly failing on venturing inside.
• Emotional responses include complete terror to feelings of joy.
• Some people report seeing unusual marks on their skin, hearing unseen murmurs through the forest, or experience palms pushing them, despite being certain nobody is nearby.

Scientific Investigations

Although numerous of the tales may be hard to prove, there are many things before my eyes that is undeniably strange. All around are plants whose stems are bent and twisted into bizarre configurations.

Different theories have been given to explain the deformed trees: powerful storms could have altered the growth, or inherently elevated radioactivity in the ground cause their strange formation.

But formal examinations have found inconclusive results.

The Notorious Meadow

The guide's excursions enable guests to participate in a little scientific inquiry of their own. Upon reaching the opening in the woods where Barnea captured his well-known UFO photographs, he gives the traveler an ghost-hunting device which measures EMF readings.

"We're stepping into the most active part of the forest," he comments. "See what you can find."

The vegetation abruptly end as the group enters into a perfect circle. The only greenery is the short grass beneath our feet; it's clear that it's naturally occurring, and appears that this strange clearing is wild, not the result of human hands.

Between Reality and Imagination

The broader region is a location which fuels fantasy, where the division is indistinct between fact and folklore. In traditional settlements faith continues in strigoi ("screamers") – otherworldly, appearance-altering vampires, who rise from their graves to haunt local communities.

The famous author's famous character Dracula is forever associated with Transylvania, and the legendary fortress – an ancient structure situated on a rocky outcrop in the mountain range – is actively advertised as "Dracula's Castle".

But despite folklore-rich Transylvania – literally, "the territory after the grove" – appears real and understandable versus this spooky forest, which seem to be, for factors related to radiation, atmospheric or purely mythical, a center for creative energy.

"Within this forest," the guide comments, "the division between fact and fiction is very thin."